Celebrating the Outstanding Youth and Alumni of the 2026 Career Development Conference
- May 6
- 4 min read
One of the most inspiring highlights of our annual Career Development Conference (CDC) is the awards ceremony, where we proudly recognize exceptional Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates (JMG) youth and alumni from across the state.
This year’s awards honored not only competition winners, but also our statewide Youth and Alumni of the Year and Notable Alumni Award recipients — individuals who embody the leadership, character, and commitment that define the core values of JMG.
Statewide Awards
JMG Alumni of the Year
This prestigious honor recognizes a JMG alumnus (Class of 2024 or earlier) who exemplifies the lasting impact of JMG:
Riley Brown– Northwestern Michigan College & Northwest Education Services Career Tech Center, programs of Networks Northwest
JMG Youth of the Year
Awarded to two active JMG participants who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to both the program and their personal goals:
Leonardo Amador-Betancourt – Everett High School, a program of Capital Area Michigan Works!
Iyanni Shyne – West Michigan Works! Muskegon County Service Center
Regional Awards
JMG Exemplary Youth of the Year
Selected from top Youth of the Year nominees, these outstanding youth represent excellence in leadership, commitment, and achievement across Michigan’s Prosperity Regions:
Michael Holland – Horizons Alternative High School, a program of Upper Peninsula Michigan Works!
Aspen Evans – Central Lake High School, a program of Networks Northwest
Bethany Byard – Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium Gaylord Service Center
Skye Hess – West Michigan Works! Allegan County Service Center
Elaina Morley – Standish-Sterling Central High School, a program of Michigan Works! Region 7B
Alex Kozlowski – Quest High School, a program of GST Michigan Works!
Salomon Shabani – Waverly High School, a program of Capital Area Michigan Works!
Yuridia Ramirez Manzano – Eau Claire High School and BCVB JMG, a program of Youth Solutions
Ayden McKimmy – Lenawee Michigan Works! Service Center
Leadreahana Drew – Pershing High School, a program of DESC
Special Awards
Notable Alumni of the Year
This distinguished award honors JMG alumni whose exceptional achievements, leadership, and unwavering commitment to the mission and values of Youth Solutions and the JMG program serve as an inspiring example to others:
August Doerr – Lansing American Job Center, a program of Capital Area Michigan Works!
Sterling Service Award
The JMG Sterling Service Award is reserved for specialists whose unwavering dedication leaves a lasting mark on the lives of young people. This year, that honor was proudly awarded to a JMG specialist whose decade of service has transformed countless futures through authenticity, resilience, and an unshakable commitment to youth success:
Charron Basey – JMG specialist at Lansing Area School District, a program of Capital Area Michigan Works!
Youth Advisory Council (YAC) Scholarship Winner
Through fundraising and advocacy efforts, our YAC members raised $500 to award a scholarship to a youth pursuing post-secondary education or career credentials:
Teagan Agren – Ogemaw Heights High School, a program of Michigan Works! Region 7B
2026 CDC Competition Winners
Our career-based competitions gave students hands-on experience to prepare for the workforce. Each challenge was judged by dedicated volunteers who provide valuable feedback to help shape the future leaders of Michigan:
JMG Influencer, encouraged individuals to create content for social media that creatively shared their JMG story:
1st Place: Az'hani Simon Dixon and Jamilette Vinaja from Hartford High School, a program of Hartford High School
2nd Place: Brayden Spears, Jessica Bright, and Eli Kelso from Wexford-Missaukee Career Tech Center, a program of Networks Northwest
3rd Place: Adison Cook and Chanel Polanco from from Wexford-Missaukee Career Tech Center, a program of Networks Northwest
JMG Spotlight, teams created a 30 to 90-second commercial for JMG:
1st Place: Alanna Henderson, Jakob Tasey, Alex Houghtaling, and Landen Coulter from Family Literacy Center, a program of GST Michigan Works!
2nd Place: Mason Franklin and Heather Falor from Wexford-Missaukee Career Tech Center, a program of Networks Northwest
3rd Place: Benji Lei-Sam and Dustin West from Berrien Springs Middle School
Product Design, teams of 3-4 are given 30 minutes to design a product from common items, as well as create a marketing pitch and 3-minute presentation to judges:
1st Place: Masyn Wing, Olivia Reinhold, and Sierra Taylor from Wexford-Missaukee Career Tech Center, a program of Networks Northwest
2nd Place: DeAria Evans, Ja’Byrion Broyles, K’mariyea Campbell, and Terrionna Cotton from Benton Harbor High School, a program of Youth Solutions
3rd Place: Kaiden Loudermilk, Logan Adams, and Preston Pannell from Genesee ISD, a program of GST Michigan Works!
Prep to Impress, where individuals showcased their career aspirations by conducting mock professional interviews:
1st Place: Symphony Horn from Eastern High School, a program of Capital Area Michigan Works!
2nd Place: Savannah Bates from Boys and Girls Club of Greater Southwest Michigan
3rd Place: Ai’Janiya Gray from Benton Harbor High School, a program of Youth Solutions
Communicate to Create, where teams of 2-4 worked together as writers and builders to write clear, step-by-step instructions, and then rebuild the object using only the written instructions:
1st Place: Braxton Bunker, Kennedy Smith, Kylie Hickey, and Sean Duryea from Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium (Atlanta, Grayling & Mio)
2nd Place: Connor Blomgren and Ethan Petersen from Marquette-Alger Technical Middle College
3rd Place: Brooklyn Byrd, Rosemary Kuchek, and Sam Schlangel from Standish-Sterling Central High School, a program of Michigan Works! Region 7B
JMG Bowl, game show-style competition where teams compete against each other by answering JMG knowledge questions:
1st Place: Brailyn Johnson, Kahlil Cooper, Liliana Davis, and Keondre Wallace from Muskegon High School/Muskegon Community Education Center
2nd Place: Elisha Guidry, Emonee Page, Miracle Green, Nevaeh Williams from Benton Harbor High School, a program of Youth Solutions
We couldn’t be prouder of each and every one of our JMG youth and alumni award winners, and the incredible things they continue to achieve. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram— and be sure to also follow our Youth Solutions Facebook page for more CDC highlights and stories!